Ji-eun had hoped that after the disastrous first day, she could keep her interactions with Joon-hyuk strictly professional. But fate, it seemed, had other plans.
That evening, after finishing her shift at the café, she stopped by a small convenience store near her neighborhood. It wasn't much—just a quiet spot with dim lighting and shelves stacked with instant ramen and snacks. She had just picked up a cup of ramen when a familiar voice made her freeze mid-motion.
"Are you following me , Miss Han ?"
Ji-eun nearly dropped her ramen. Turning around slowly, she found Kang Joon-hyuk standing near the counter, his usual sharp suit replaced with a casual black sweater and dark jeans. If she didn't know better, she'd say he almost looked… normal.
"I live around here," she mumbled, still caught off guard.
Joon-hyuk raised an eyebrow before casually grabbing a ramen cup of his own. "Convenient."
She wasn't sure if he meant the store or their meeting.
Before she could overthink it, they both ended up at the store's small seating area, steam rising from their instant ramen cups. The tension that always seemed to follow them at work was still there—but softer, somehow.
"Didn't expect the almighty CEO Kang to eat convenience store ramen," Ji-eun muttered, poking at her noodles.
Joon-hyuk gave a small smirk. "I don't. Usually. But sometimes, it's nice to have something simple."
Ji-eun stole a glance at him. For the first time, he didn't look like the untouchable boss who owned a skyscraper. He looked… human. The lines of stress on his face, the way his shoulders weren't so rigid—there was something unexpectedly real about him in this moment.
"You work too much," she blurted before she could stop herself.
Joon-hyuk paused mid-bite and looked at her, clearly surprised. "And you think eating ramen at a convenience store is the solution?"
"I think taking a break once in a while wouldn't kill you," she shot back. "Even powerful CEOs need to breathe."
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he stirred his ramen thoughtfully before speaking. "Not everyone gets that choice, Miss Han. Some of us have expectations to meet."
Ji-eun frowned, recognizing something unspoken in his words. She knew what it was like to be burdened with responsibility. And for the first time, she saw a glimpse of Kang Joon-hyuk that wasn't all sharp edges and cold stares.
As they finished their meal, he leaned back, studying her thoughtfully. "Try not to cause any disasters at work tomorrow."
Ji-eun huffed. "I should be saying that to you."
For a split second, his lips twitched upward. A real smile? But just as quickly, it was gone.
"Get home safely, Miss Han."
With that, he stood up and left, leaving Ji-eun staring after him, utterly bewildered by the enigma that was Kang Joon-hyuk.